1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tent devices and, more particularly, to tent devices that are portable and easily carried by hikers and other outdoorsmen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When overnight hikes are taken, often the hiker carries along a portable tent device that can be erected at a campsite. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to portable tents, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,931,918, 4,109,424, 4,471,794, 4,526,307, and Des. 260,277. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,918 discloses a back pack that is convertible into a tent. The roof of the tent is supported by a horizontal rod which is supported by four slanting rods, two at the front of the tent and two at the rear of the tent. Thus, five rods are needed to support this tent. To decrease the carrying weight and to decrease assembly time, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided that includes considerably less than five support rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,424 discloses a portable tent that employs an inflatable front support structure. If the inflatable structure is somehow nicked, the support structure would be unusable. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided which does not employ an inflatable support structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,794 discloses a tent device that is simulative of a hammock structure which is suspended at two ends. In the field, it may be difficult to find two nearby structures, such as trees, from which a hammock can be suspended. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided which does not need to suspended from both ends to serve as a hammock structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,307 discloses a portable tent which is suspended from a tree. In the outdoors, strong trees are not always available from which a portable tent can be suspended. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided which is not suspended from a tree.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 260,277 discloses a tent which discloses a single, arch-shaped tent support that is supported on the ground at two ends of the arch. When an arch-shaped support structure is disassembled, curved arch components may be relatively difficult to store when carried because curved components take up considerably more storage space than straight structural components. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided which does not employ arch-shaped structural components. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,132 may be of interest for its disclosure of collapsible support.
Still other features would be desirable in a tent apparatus. For example, a portable tent is often used as a lean-to type of tent wherein a front opening is relatively large, and the tent tapers back from the large front opening to a relatively small rear of the tent. To provide easy access to such a tent, it would be desirable if the front of the tent were not obstructed by any tent support structures.
It is well known that some tents are supported on the ground by vertically oriented tent posts that support the tent from inside the tent and, therefore, take up floor space in the tent. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable tent device were provided that is supported in a way that does not take up floor space inside the tent.
Often, a campfire and the front opening of a tent are arranged so that a portion of heat and light from the campfire will enter the tent. To maximize the use of heat and light that enter a tent; it would be desirable if a ceiling of a tent were provided that reflects heat and light from a campfire down onto a person lying inside the tent.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use tent devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a tent apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) includes considerably less than five support rods; (2) does not employ an inflatable support structure; (3) does not need to be suspended from both ends and does not serve as a hammock structure; (4) is not suspended from a tree; (5) does not employ arch-shaped structural components; (6) has a tent front that is not obstructed by tent support structures; (7) is supported in a way that does not take up floor space inside the tent; and (8) reflects heat and light from a campfire down onto a person lying inside the tent. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique tent apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.